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By Mayo Clinic staffYour doctor will diagnose Rocky Mountain spotted fever by:
- Evaluating your signs and symptoms
- Conducting a physical examination
- Testing a blood sample, rash specimen or the tick itself for the presence of the organism that causes the infection
References
- Chen LF, et al. What's new in Rocky Mountain spotted fever? Infectious Disease Clinics of North America. 2008;22:415.
- Sexton DJ. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 31, 2009.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever: Questions and answers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/disease/rocky_mountain_spotted_fever/faq.htm. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec14/ch177/ch177f.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Razzaq S, et al. Rocky Mountain spotted fever: A physician's challenge. Pediatrics in Review. 2005;26:125.
- Walker DH, et al. Rickettsia rickettsii and other spotted fever group rickettsiae (Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other spotted fevers). In: Mandell GL, et al. Mandell, Douglas, and Bennett's Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone; 2005. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/152732979-3/0/1259/1529.html?tocnode=51381835&fromURL=1529.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/topics/rockyMountainSpottedFever/default.htm. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Diagnosis and management of tickborne rickettsial diseases: Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichioses, and anaplasmosis - United States. MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2006;55:4. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5504.pdf. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.
- Sexton DJ. Treatment of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 31, 2009.
- Removing ticks. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tick_removal.html. Accessed Aug. 3, 2009.